Spy System In Ancient India

In India, the system of espionage is as old as the Rigveda. It has developed into a sophisticated political art. 'Spies are the eyes of Kings' is a proverbial saying current among the people from time immemorial. In her work, the author has emphasised on the existence of spy system from the early vedic period. The spies seem to have been largely employed then not merely to ascertain validity or invalidity in the statements of parties and witnesses, but also to gather correct and reliable information as to the movements of tribal settlements of inimical tendency or disposition. It is an indispensable adjunct of foreign policy and also an important instrument of serving the government. Kautilya envisaged a well-knit system of espionage. The author has included a separate chapter on diplomacy and diplomatic agents. As spying and diplomacy work together and the duties and functions of spies and diplomats overlap and coincide. The ancient Indian spy system was so developed and organised that till today, it is a perennial source of inspiration and more useful basis for the modern intelligence system. This book will be useful not only to readers for History but scholars working in the field of Political Science, Military Science, Administration, Diplomacy etc. Moreover, it is a treasure house of important information for the students preparing for competitive examinations. It is a learned attempt for the in-depth.

A Single-Volume Study Of Ancient Indian History Delineating The Various Facets, Both Political And Cultural, And Incorporating The Fruits Of Recent Researches That Have Abundantly Appeared Since 1950, Has Not Been Attempted Before. Author Has Tried To Maintain A Delicate Balance Between Political History And Social, Economic And Cultural History Of Ancient India.The Book Covers The Pre-Historic India, The Vedic Age, The Post-Vedic Civilization, North India In The Sixth Century B.C. It Also Explains New Religious Movements And Their Socio-Economic Background, Maurya Age, Political Disintegration And Foreign Invasions. The Gupta Empire, The Prominence Of North Under Harshavardhana And Its Eclipse, Bengal Under The Palas And The Senas, Dynasties Of North India, Arabs And Turks In India, Indias Intercourse With The Outside World, Have Been Discussed In Depth.History Of Deccan And South India, Hitherto Not Given Due Weightage And Culture And Civilization Of Ancient India In All Its Variegated Hues, Have Received Due Attention. Some New Topics Like Espionage, Slavery, Guilds, Urbanisation, Feudalism And Science And Technology In Ancient India, Have Been Incorporated To Make The Book As Uptodate As Possible. Apart From Meeting The Requirements Of Undergraduate And Postgraduate Students Of Indian Universities, The Book Will Serve As A Useful Guide To Candidates For Civil Service Examination (Both Preliminary And Main).

Ancient History Of India From The Very Beginning To Twelve Hundred A.D. It Has Been Written In A Simple And Lucid Style. Controversial Matters Have Been Dealt With In Such A Way That Scientific And Objective Conclusions May Be Drawn. The Book Has Been Planned As An Ideal Textbook For The Students And A Reference Book For The Teachers.

This book examines India’s foreign intelligence culture and strategic surprises in the 20th century. The work looks at whether there is a distinct way in which India ‘thinks about’ and ‘does’ intelligence, and, by extension, whether this affects the prospects of it being surprised. Drawing on a combination of archival data, secondary source information and interviews with members of the Indian security and intelligence community, the book provides a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of Indian intelligence culture from the ancient period to colonial times and, subsequently, the post-colonial era. This evolutionary culture has played a significant role in explaining the India’s foreign intelligence failure during the occurrences of strategic surprises, such as the 1962 Sino-Indian War and the 1999 Kargil War, while it successfully prepared for surprise attacks like Operation Chenghiz Khan by Pakistan in 1971. The result is that the book argues that the strategic culture of a nation and its interplay with intelligence organisations and operations is important to understanding the conditions for intelligence failures and strategic surprises. This book will be of much interest to students of intelligence studies, strategic studies, Asian politics and International Relations.

Intelligence activities have always been an integral part of statecraft. Ancient governments, like modern ones, realized that to keep their borders safe, control their populations, and keep abreast of political developments abroad, they needed a means to collect the intelligence which enabled them to make informed decisions. Today we are well aware of the damage spies can do. Here, for the first time, is a comprehensive guide to the literature of ancient intelligence. The entries present books and periodical articles in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, and Dutch—with annotations in English. These works address such subjects as intelligence collection and analysis (political and military), counterintelligence, espionage, cryptology (Greek and Latin), tradecraft, covert action, and similar topics (it does not include general battle studies and general discussions of foreign policy). Sections are devoted to general espionage, intelligence related to road building, communication, and tradecraft, intelligence in Greece, during the reign of Alexander the Great and in the Hellenistic Age, in the Roman republic, the Roman empire, the Byzantine empire, the Muslim world, and in Russia, China, India, and Africa. The books can be located in libraries in the United States; in cases where volumes are in one library only, the author indicates where they may be found.